Cleveland Heights offers cost savings programs for water, sewer bills

Relief is on the way for uncalculated Homestead Exemptions on Cleveland Heights water bills. File photo

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Along with offering affordability programs for the nearly quadruple rate increase on sewer bills as mandated by the EPA, there will be some transitional Cleveland Water credits for overlooked Homestead Exemptions in the city.

Resident Jim Cathcart, who qualifies for the Homestead Exemption, brought the matter up to Cleveland Heights City Council at its Jan. 16 meeting, citing recent water and sewer bills that showed sharp increases in what they had been previously.

When the 81-year-old widower took his concerns to both departments, he was told that the sewer bill hike was part of a Consent Decree with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to raise $12 million for ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act.

For his water bill, "they told me that they should have done the transition five years ago" to Cleveland Water, which took over operations last January.

Then it was explained to him that Cleveland Heights customers would be charged a "transition fee" for another five years to pay off the deficit incurred when the city was running its own system and buying its water from Cleveland.

"This is a serious issue that was brought to our attention, in that the 'transition rate' should take into consideration the Homestead Exemption," City Manager Tanisha Briley told Cathcart.

And because of the oversight, those on the Homestead Exemption -- which also reduces property tax -- will receive a credit from 2017.

"Cleveland Heights will make you whole," Briley told Cathcart, adding that the city has also rolled out a set of affordability programs for the sewer hike assessed on the last quarter of 2017 and appearing on bills this month.

The Homestead Program offers the lower rate to residents who meet the following guidelines:

-- Age 65 or older, or permanently disabled

-- Must own and live on the property

-- Household income of less than $33,000

Cleveland Heights also offers the Affordability Program, which provides a 40 percent discount on local sewer charges for residents who live at the property in question and whose income is at or below 200 percent of the poverty level.

Residents cannot be enrolled in both programs and they have to apply and qualify through the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Please visit neorsd.org for more information.

Cathcart also had some questions about the periodic usage spikes showing up in the water bill for his house, located near Cain Park.

"I have a routine that I stick to," Cathcart said of his water usage. "And no one can really come up with an explanation."

Cleveland Water officials were unavailable for comment, but have previously touted their new automated meter Clear Reads system as being capable of sending out updated readings on an hourly basis.

In other business at the Jan. 16 meeting, City Council heard from residents Gary Benjamin and Melody Hart on behalf of the Greater Cleveland Congregations organization, renewing their call for a local "foreclosure bond" ordinance.

Elsewhere, similar legislation requires that banks post the foreclosure bond to pay for maintenance of vacated homes.

Benjamin noted that of the estimated 200 foreclosed homes in Cleveland Heights, roughly half may be in the Noble neighborhood, driving down surrounding property values as they continue to deteriorate.

Mayor Carol Roe said she has supported the legislative proposal in the past, put forward by her predecessor on council, Jeff Coryell, in 2015.

She added that while $10,000 has been the historical standard for the foreclosure bond, the city may want to look at $12,000 to $15,000, given the age of Cleveland Heights' housing stock.

Council also approved advertisement of bids for a buffered bike lane along North Park Boulevard.

The funding is being provided through a grant, unlike the proposed bike lane along Noble Road that was later scrapped by Cuyahoga County in its $2.9 million resurfacing project last year.

Councilwoman Mary Dunbar said she planned to revisit the issue of a bike lane at upcoming meetings for the Eastside Greenway, which includes Noble Road.